Glimmer of Hope
by Sarah52588
Summary: This fic picks up right after the second full moon 2x21.
1. Chapter 1

As soon as her head hit his shoulders she had calmed down. It wasn't until that exact moment that Tyler realized just how much he had missed Caroline. As her breathing evened out and she began to fall asleep a mixture of emotions went rushing through him. He couldn't believe how many times he had put her in harm's way; yet she was still right by his side telling him not to leave again. It was baffling to him, because no one had even been there for him like she had.

He had every intention of walking away from Mystic Falls. After all, Caroline was tortured and nearly killed twice, all at his expense. Tyler only had two people left to care about in Mystic Falls, and she was one of them. She had done so much for him. He couldn't bear causing her even an ounce more of pain. He had been so selfish before, and he hated himself for it. He knew the best thing for him to do would be to leave. She really would be better off without him here, but she asked him to stay so that is what he is going to do – for now at least.

He suddenly thought of Jules. He was sure that she had been captured as well. Lord knows if she hadn't; his door would have been knocked down three hours ago and he would be on his way back to Florida. He was thankful for his time with Jules. He felt a sadness overcome him as he thought about the unlikely hood of her still being alive. He learned a great deal from her, and does not regret his time away from Mystic Falls. However, with this sadness he also felt a great deal of relief. He never fully trusted her, and did not particularly like having her boss him around. He knows there is still a great deal to learn about his kind, but Caroline is really the only person he want's helping him through it. That is, if he is able to keep her safe while doing so.

He can't believe how quick Matt was to throw his and Caroline's relationship away. Yes, he was going through a lot, but having her by his side only would have helped him through it. Matt was a fool, and he knows that one day he will come crawling back to her. That thought made him sick to his stomach. He hated seeing Caroline so upset, but deep down was happy things did not work out between the two. Tyler had fallen for her – and hard. He had never felt this way about anyone, and the feelings only grew in the short time he had been back. Her willingness to forgive him after he left her in Jules hands to die was remarkable. She had become such a strong person and continually risked her life for him, even after he had given her every reason in the world not to.

He was not sure how to handle everything he was feeling, and he prayed he wouldn't disappoint her again. It was obvious she was still head over heels in love with Matt. He glanced down at her and the tear soaked blanket that proved it. He thought back to the night he had kissed her. It had felt so right, but he wouldn't put himself in that position again. He couldn't bear to cause her anymore stress, and he did not want to make their relationship awkward. She was his best friend, and he wouldn't be able to function without her at this point.

Her phone rang and she quickly regained consciousness. She set up and grabbed it causing Tyler to wince in pain. One of the few perks of being a werewolf was quick healing, but the wooden bullet had sure done a number on him. She shot him a quick glance that said sorry while she answered. He did not like the look he saw overcome her face. He began to focus on the phone call to hear what the person on the other line was saying. It was Stephan, and he was only able to catch the tail end of their conversation. It was something about funerals. Caroline hung up the phone and the tears began to fall again. He hated seeing her like this.

He quickly began trying to comfort her "Caroline, what happened?" She took a minute and collected herself and then gave him the cliff notes.

"The ritual was completed last night. Bonnie was able to save Elena, but Jenna and John, Elena's real father died. Worst of all it was for nothing, Klaus got away. I just can't handle this anymore. I am so tired of losing people I love." she cried.

At that Caroline zoned out and went into a quiet catatonic state as the tears flowed. He walked her over to the couch where she leaned back to into his shoulder and sat quietly for some time. Tyler couldn't stand seeing the sadness that had overcome her; before he left he had only seen Caroline be strong, ready to handle any situation that was thrown at her.

When she finally snapped out of it she began telling Tyler everything. She explained how Matt found out, and how he reacted. She explained how she thought she had compelled him to forget, but that he was really working with her mom.

"Tyler, I just don't know what I am going to do. I don't even know if it is safe for me to go home. Last time my mom found out she was ready to steak me." Even more tears began to fall from her eyes.

Tyler didn't know what to do. Guilt suddenly came rushing through his body, and his stomach started knotting up. He should have never betrayed Caroline when Jules attacked her. If he would have just done what was right he would have been here for her this past month.

Tyler was starting to lose it. He was enraged that Matt had created such a mess for Caroline, and he was equally upset with himself for abandoning her.

He had to pace his breathing like Jules had taught him; it helped him control his anger. After a few minutes he finally told her, "Caroline, were going to get through this. I'm going to be here every step of the way to help you."

With that she squeezed his hand, and he pulled her in even closer to his chest. He rested his chin on her head, wrapped his arms around her and told her that it was all going to be ok. She finally calmed down, and stayed there in his arms for another long while.

She eventually stood up. "I really should get going. Damon compelled someone out at the cemetery so they could secretly have a funeral for John and Jenna. I should go home to get ready."

"Caroline, are you sure that is the best idea? What about your mom?"

"I think I will be ok to run home and get ready. She has known for weeks now and not acted on it. Besides she will be working anyways. "

"Are you sure? I could go with you if you want me to?"

"I will be ok, and you need to stay here and rest. I really think I just need some time to myself to process everything and figure out what I am going to do next."

He said, "Ok, if that's what you want to do." as he gave her a weak smile."

She gave him a heartfelt, but tired smile in return. "Thank you so much for dealing with me Tyler. I feel so bad. Here you are recovering from your transformation, and you have to deal with me while I am a blubbering mess, dragging you into all my drama."

"Caroline there is no where I would rather be. You have been there for me in my darkest hours taking care of me, and when I really didn't deserve it. From here on out I am going to be here for you –anything you need, I'm here."

She shot him another smile and gave him a hug before turning to leave. He felt an odd electricity race through his body. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. No other girl had ever made him feel this way.

As she walked towards the door he offered to drive her home, but she declined. She told him that he needed to rest, and the run home would help calm her nerves.

He nodded still feeling uneasy about it all. As she walked down the steps of the Lockwood mansion he called out to her, "Caroline, if you feel uncomfortable tonight you can always come and stay here. My mom won't be coming home for another couple of days. It might give you some time to figure out what you want to do next to handle the situation with your mom. Not to mention I would feel better knowing your safe."

She thanked him and continued her trek home. Tyler shut his door and watched her walk away from the window. When she finally blurred out of sight he sunk back into the couch that now smelled like her. He knew he wouldn't see her again tonight, and a rush of sadness overcame him. He thought to himself, there is no way she would feel safest with me after everything that had happened between them. If there was anyplace she was going to end up tonight it would probably be the Salvatore's boarding house. The thought saddened him as he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

As he woke from his three hour long nap his thoughts immediately shifted to her. He shook his head and got up. He was so thankful for everything she had done, but he had to stop thinking about her. They were just friends, and after everything that's happened between them, he was sure that was all they would ever be. The thoughts sadden him as he began to walk through his house.

It had been nearly a month since he had been here last. While that really isn't that long of a time, everything seemed so different. He stopped at a picture of him and his family. His poor mom, he hated that he had just left her here all alone, not even letting her know that he was ok. Looking back on it, it was a very selfish move on his part. Tyler had been selfish his whole life, but he wanted to change that. His life wasn't about to get any to get any easier, and being an ass all the time wouldn't help matters any.

He finally walked up to his room where he saw a picture of himself and Matt. He walked over to the table it was setting on and flipped it face down on his dresser. While he didn't blame Matt for the way he reacted, especially given what he himself had done to Caroline, he still couldn't bring himself to look at his picture without getting angry. He hoped he could eventually forgive his friend, but he didn't think the day would come anytime soon.

As he proceeded into his bathroom he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and it wasn't pretty. He decided to take a shower, and then go visit his mom at the hospital.

When Caroline had gotten home she immediately felt a chill run down her spine. Maybe I am not as ok with this as I let on she thought. She sat her keys down on the table next to the door. As she walked further into the house she called for her mother, but received no answer. She felt some relief roll off of her chest, but still knew that it would be best if she showered and got ready for the funeral quickly.

As she was showering she reviewed the events of the past 24 hours in her head. Tyler was home, Matt knew about her, her mom knew about her, the sacrifice happened, Klaus was now even more dangerous than before, John and Jenna had died, her mom may or may not attempt to stake her, and Tyler was finally home.

As her thoughts yet again drifted to Tyler she began to smile. She didn't really noticed how close they were until he had returned. They were both going through so much, and going through it with him somehow made it easier. Having him back home made her feel…well she really couldn't pinpoint what she was feeling.

She was still in shock over Matt giving up on their relationship so quickly. They had been through so much together, and it made her sad to know that he couldn't accept her for who she was. At least not like Tyler did.

As she realized her mind had slipped back to Tyler she snapped back to reality. First of all, I am by no means over Matt. There is no possible way I could be feeling anything romantic for Tyler. Second, Tyler and I are natural enemies; anything more than friends would probably end badly. Not to mention it would probably upset several people that could wreak havoc on our lives. I could already think of a few that didn't agree with Tyler and I being friends.

She sighed and said to herself, "Why am I even thinking about this, I just spent most of this morning crying over Matt. Tyler is just a good friend and nothing more." After she got out of the shower she ran around her room getting ready. As she got ready she began thinking about Tyler again, she didn't stop till she was done. The reality of her thoughts hit her like a ton of bricks and she pushed them to the side.

She got in her car and made her way to the Salvatore house. She needed to tell the brothers about her mother knowing, but she didn't think today was the best day to bring it up. She depended on them for so much, and she felt like her life would be a catastrophe if it wasn't for them. She determined it would be best to wait till the following day to tell them. Everyone needed a little more time to process the events that had already taken place.

The funeral was simple, it was so hard watching Elena and Jeremy say goodbye to more of their family. She was relieved when it was all over and she could go home. All she wanted to do was go to bed so she could forget about everything that was going on for a while. As she pulled up to her house she saw that her mother was home.

She pulled into her normal parking spot, but couldn't turn the car off. She sat there for 30 minutes trying to convince herself to go inside. She let out a deep sigh, "Come on Caroline, she's known for quite a while now and she hasn't staked you yet." She knew she could handle herself if the worst happened, but the longer she thought about it though she realized it wasn't the fear of her mother trying to kill her. It was the fear and disappointment of knowing that her mother didn't accept her for who she really was. She couldn't face her, not yet anyways. She put her car back in drive and drove away.

Initially, Tyler's mom was just happy to see him. The second time he went to visit her however, she defiantly let him have it. "Tyler Lockwood, you aren't going to disappear again. You're only seventeen and you have no business being out of school and on your own." She continued to ramble for quite some time. Tyler tried to block most of it out. Much to his surprise she ended her rant by saying, "I just don't know what I would do if you left again." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her, "Mom you don't have to worry about that. I don't plan on leaving." With that she smiled, and he sat with her till she fell asleep.

When he arrived at home the first thing he did was go for a run. There were so many emotions running through him: anger, frustration, happiness and even confusion. Exercising helped keep all of the aggression from building up inside of him.

Just as he had walked in the back door from his run he heard a car door shut, and then the sound of heels walking up his steps. He was sure that it wasn't Caroline, but he hoped and he prayed that it was.

He opened the front door before whoever it was even had a chance to knock. Much to his surprise it was a beautiful blonde, and she looked absolutely gorgeous in a sleek black dress. She gave him a halfhearted smile as he stepped aside to let her in.

He was in shock that she actually came to his house of all places; and she must have been able to read the surprise on his face because she asked him, "Tyler, are you sure it is ok that I am here?"

He gave her a serious look and said, "Of course it is, you really shouldn't waste your time asking such absurd questions Caroline." They both smiled and he asked her how everything went today. She really didn't want to think about, so she just told him, "I'm just glad today is almost over."

He took the hint and changed the subject. "Have you eaten yet?"

She responded by saying, "No, and I am starving." with an overly exaggerated look in her eyes. She had made sure she took the time to drink a blood bag, but hadn't had any real food all day.

He just laughed, "Well I hope you like pizza because I don't cook." He regretted his words as soon as they came out of his mouth. He saw a very familiar look on Caroline's face that he didn't like.

Caroline took it as challenge. "Tyler Lockwood, are you trying to tell me that you are 17 years old and you don't know how to cook? That's just pathetic. I guess I am just going to have to start giving you lessons."

"Caroline, I am quite all right! I haven't needed cooking skills yet so far, and by the time it becomes an issue I will have probably married someone that can."

She looked at the killer smile on his face and started laughing. "Tyler, that's just pathetic. We are cooking and that is final!"

He pretended to be put out, but he really didn't mind. He was just glad Caroline was there.

She started looking through the cabinets, and after a minute she pulled something out. It looked like some type of pasta, but he had no idea what they were going to do with it.

"How about we start with something easy like spaghetti?"

It wasn't much of a lesson because he let her do most of the work. He stayed very close to her watching her every move, but he was too distracted by how beautiful she was, and how sexy she looked in her tight black dress. He wanted to kiss her really bad as they laughed at his pathetic kitchen skills. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. He needed her and he wasn't about to screw their friendship up again.

When they, well, when she, had finished cooking he set up a picnic in the middle of his living room. He loved the time he spent with her. They were able to talk and laugh and have fun. He wasn't able to do this with other people, and it made him feel like a normal teenager again. They finished up and Caroline made her way to the kitchen to do the dishes. As she started to clean up he cut her off.

"You can laugh at my pathetic cooking skills all you want but I do know how to clean. Go sit down and I will take care of it."

She said ok without a second thought and watched him. She was pleasantly surprised, when he was done – it was actually clean. They went back into the living room to pick out a movie.

"Hey Tyler, I hate to ask but do you have anything more comfortable I could wear. My dress isn't really made for lounging around in."

"Sure, let's go upstairs and look."

As they made their way to his room he thought about how he really didn't want her taking that dress off. She looked so good in it.

He looked in the back of his closet for something that would fit her, while she inspected his room. It looked a lot different than she had pictured it. It was very simple and clean.

He finally pulled out an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt he wore in middle school. She told him thank you and he left the room so she could put them on.

When she opened the door he forgot all about the dress. He loved the way she looked in his clothes. They were just a little too big for her and it was kind of sexy.

They went back down stairs and laid down on the floor to watch the movie. Caroline only made it 10 minutes in before she fell asleep, and he soon forgot about the movie because he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

She looked so beautiful and at peace. She had been through so much lately and he was amazed at how strong she was being given everything going on in her life.

She shifted closer and cuddled up right next to him. He soon closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face and an overwhelming feeling of contentment.


	3. Chapter 3

Tyler woke up the next morning and Caroline was gone. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock, only to realize that it was five o'clock in the morning. She probably woke up, felt uncomfortable with their sleeping arrangements and bolted. She was still hopelessly in love with Matt after all. He probably should have done the gentleman like thing and slept somewhere else, but once she cuddled up close to him like that; doing the gentleman like thing was thrown out the window. He decided to get up and make his way to his comfortable bed. With Caroline gone, the floor just wasn't doing it for him.

As he picked up his pillow he heard an exasperated sigh. He looked behind him, only to see Caroline staring at him with her arms crossed. "Please, please, please tell me you're not one of the psychotic early risers that gets up at the crack of dawn every day."

He looked at her in shock and said, "Definitely not, but you appear to be. I woke up and you were gone. I couldn't hear you anywhere, so I just figured you had gotten up and left. After sleeping on the floor all night my bed was calling my name."

"Oh, praise the lord" she said. "It's Saturday and I am going back to sleep." She made her way over to the couch and laid down.

"Where were you?" Tyler asked.

"Well, I woke up because I was hungry. I just wanted to get it over with it, so I went hunting, and now I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the day." She said all of this with asatisfied smile that made Tyler chuckle.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Tyler said as he laid back down on the floor. He wasn't, EVEN, about to tell her that he was feeling all giddy inside because she didn't seem freaked out by their extra close contact last night.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"Jesus Caroline, now what am I doing wrong?"

"I thought you were going to your bed, but now you're lying back down on the floor."

"I was moving to my bed because I thought you were gone, but you're not; therefore, I am going to stay out here with you. I am not going to leave you by yourself."

She shot him a look or irritation. "Tyler, I am a vampire for god sake, I think I can handle myself if something were to happen. I am fine; you can go sleep in your bed."

He ignored her and adjusted to a somewhat comfortable position on the floor. She then sighed and moved from the couch on the floor next to him.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked irritated.

"Well, if you're not going to go sleep in your bed, I am not going to sleep on your couch." Caroline then rolled over and closed her eyes. Just as she was starting to feel relaxed Tyler grabbed her and threw her over his shoulders.

"What the Hell are you doing?" she screamed as Tyler carried her up the stairs. He didn't answer. When they were finally up the stairs Tyler walked into his room and set Caroline on his bed. He then grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket and made his way over to a couch that was on the other side of his room.

Caroline couldn't help but chuckle as she said, "You're impossible Lockwood!"

Caroline was out within five minutes. Tyler on the other hand was wide awake. If he had been a little more coherent at the time, he might have thought twice about putting her in his bed. Now all he could do was think about Caroline being in his bed, and how he wanted to be in his bed with her. After about thirty minutes of daydreaming and watching her, he finally forced his thoughts elsewhere and drifted back to sleep.

He awoke a few hours later to Caroline sitting in front of the couch starting at him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes till her face became focused. "Do you have to be such a creep Caroline?"

"Well, what would you have liked for me to do to occupy my time…snoop through your room? You're a grouch in the mornings Tyler Lockwood."

At that he smiled and asked her what she wanted to do today. "Did you want to go talk to your mom? I could go with you if you want."

She smiled and said, "Thanks, but I don't really want to deal with that today. Let's do something fun. Things have been so crazy; I just want to forget about it for today and pretend like we're regular teenagers."

With a smile he said, "Ok, sounds good to me. What did you have in mind? I am down for anything."

Two hours into shopping Tyler deeply regretted those five words and made a mental note to never use them again. As Caroline tried to enter another shoe store Tyler shot her the death glare. She smiled and said, "Don't worry this is the last one. You can pick what we do next."

Forty-five minutes later, Tyler finally got to tell her that they were going to go to his family's lake house. "We could go to the grocery store to get stuff for lunch and then hang out on the lake for the rest of the day."

She smiled and said, "That sounds perfect, and I can wear my new swimsuit!"

"Whoa, your telling me that I sat through nearly three hours of torture, and I somehow missed out on swimsuit shopping. What the hell Caroline?" She just giggled and started walking towards the grocery store.

After finally deciding on what to have, and several trips around the grocery store Caroline said, "Tyler, I think we have everything we need."

He looked at her, and then the cart, and then back at her. "We have everything but beverages."

She smiled and said, "How does Coke sound?"

"It's a miracle, finally, something we agree on!"

Caroline just laughed and followed him to the drink isle; where he continued to ramble on about missing swimsuit shopping. When they spotted the Coke it took them a minute to actually pick it up because they had to debate between bottles or cans. Tyler eventually grabbed the bottles and said, "Caroline, this was my activity choice for the day; therefore, I have the ultimate decision making authority for the time being". She just laughed and said ok as they made their way to the checkout counter. As they left the drink isle their cart slammed into someone else's causing them to laugh even harder. They stuck their heads around the corner to see who they hit and their expressions went blank. Tyler looked at Caroline who was visibly in shock, and then turned back to Matt.

"Hey Matt, sorry about that."

Matt looked at Tyler, and then Caroline, and then back at Tyler. "Uh, yeah no problem man. What are you two out shopping for?"

Caroline finally snapped out of it and answered, "We were going to hang out at the lake house today, and we were just buying some stuff for lunch."

With a torn look on his face Matt said, "Oh, well have fun." and took off to the opposite end of the grocery store. Tyler looked at Caroline and said. "Are you ok?"

She gave him a halfhearted smile and said, "I am not going to worry about that right now. We are having fun today. Remember?"

"Ok, well after that little run in I am thinking there is something else we need to get."

"Tyler Lockwood, look at this cart. What else could we possibly need?"

"I am thinking you need to use your little mind compulsion trick and score us some alcohol."

She returned his devilish grin and said, "You know, I think that can be arranged."

They rushed through the checkout line. They never spoke of it, but they both knew they did it because neither one of them wanted to run into Matt again. Caroline was still heartbroken over the deal, and things were just awkward between Matt and Tyler. Tyler had a lot of built up anger towards Matt, and he just didn't know how to handle it.

They packed up Tyler's truck and Caroline worked her magic at the liquor store. Caroline then called and checked in with her mom telling her that she was going to be hanging out with Elena for the day. After that they headed towards the lake house with the windows down and the music on. They didn't say much during the trip, and normally the lack of conversation would have driven Caroline nuts. She thought about that as they pulled into the driveway and smiled. She never would have guessed she would feel comfortable enough with Tyler Lockwood to sit in the silence with him.

They ate the lunch Caroline cooked them. She had tried giving Tyler cooking lesson number two, but he wasn't having any part of it. He used some lame excuse about going to check out the boat and making sure it had gas.

They both cleaned up the kitchen after lunch; and then he showed Caroline to the bathroom so she could put her swimming suit on. Once she had changed she made her way down to the dock where she found Tyler already floating in the water.

"Jerk, you didn't wait for me?"

"I thought about waiting, but I had two valid reasons not to."

"Oh really, and what are those?"

"Well for starters I did go shopping with you today, and it took you about thirty minutes in the dressing room every time you tried on a new outfit. Second of all, I am a werewolf, which I am sure you haven't forgotten. I have that whole heightened temperature thing going on, and standing in the heat can be quite miserable sometimes. The cool water makes me feel so much better."

"It did not take me thirty minutes in the dressing room to try on an outfit."

"Oh Forbes, but it did." Tyler said with a devilish smile.

Caroline said, "Whatever Tyler" as she proceeded to take her swimming suit cover off.

Tyler was about to say something, but was rendered speechless as he saw her standing there adjusting her new bikini; he had never been so mesmerized by a girl. He wondered how he had known her his whole life and never really noticed how beautiful she was. When she finally looked up their eyes met and Tyler needed something to say since she had just caught him staring at her.

"I am still pissed at you for letting me go to the sports store while you went swimming suit shopping Caroline. You could have filled me in; after all you did drag me around shopping all morning."

Caroline laughed and said, "You'll get over it. I saved you from looking like a pervert who was only in the swimming suit section to stare at girls. Mystic Falls is a small town; it would have gotten around quick."

Tyler just shot her an annoyed look and thought to himself, "It wouldn't have been a problem because I am pretty sure the only girl I would have been staring at was you."

Tyler got out of the water and walked towards the boat. "Want to go for a ride?"

"That would be amazing!" Caroline said.

They both hopped in and rode around looking at the gorgeous views. Caroline sat at the front of the boat looking at the scenery. Tyler spent most of his time staring at Caroline.

"Hey, I know of a good cliff we could go jump off of."

"Tyler Lockwood, you are crazy if you think you're going to get me to jump off of a cliff into the lake."

"What, it's not like you wouldn't heal if something went wrong." he said while laughing.

Caroline walked over and punched him, probably a little too hard and said, "Yeah, I am still not convinced."

"Ouch, okay okay! I will just head back to the lake house then. We are probably an hour away."

"Okay Captain!" Caroline said as she laid at the front of the boat to soak up the sun. It felt so good on her cold skin. "I am so glad Bonnie made me this ring. I would be so depressed if I couldn't lay out in the sun like this. It is so relaxing"

Tyler shot her a confused look and said, "What are you talking about? What ring?"

"Oh, I guess I never did tell you about that. Vampires aren't supposed to be out in the sun. If I didn't have this ring on I would burn to crisp and die. That's one thing I learned the hard way when I first turned."

"Nice to know, if I ever need to keep you contained I will just steal your ring."

"I would like to see you try Lockwood."

When they made it back they played in the water for a while before heading back up to the lake house as the sun set.

"Tyler, is it ok if I take a shower? I am feeling pretty gross."

"Yeah, that's fine. I will probably take one two. You can use the bathroom you changed in. There are towels in the cabinet."

When she was done she put on a cute pair of sweats and a t-shirt she had bought while shopping earlier that day. She went looking for Tyler and she didn't have to go far, because she found him passed out in the bed outside the bathroom she was in.

She looked at the clock, "Man I didn't think I was in there that long." She tried to nudge him awake but had no luck. Realizing how tired she was herself she laid down next to him and quickly drifted to sleep.

Tyler woke up the next morning and found Caroline curled up in a ball next to him on the bed. As he shifted himself Caroline woke up to find Tyler staring at her.

"Who's the creepy one now Lockwood?"

"Not even comparable Caroline. I just happened to look over at you. You on the other hand were sitting on the floor intensely staring at me yesterday."

She shot him a look, and then stretched on the bed before setting up.

Tyler sat up next to her and said, "Well its Sunday, what are we going to do today?"

"As much as I really don't want to I should probably go talk to my mom about everything. Try and figure out what my next move is."

"I will be there if you need anything Caroline."

She looked at him and then gave him a big hug. "Thank you Tyler, I am so happy you're back in town!"


	4. Chapter 4

As we left the lake house Caroline put on a good show; however, it was completely obvious she was a nervous wreck inside. Caroline Forbes had always been a talker, but at this point, the speed at which words were coming out of her mouth was unreal. I just let her talk because I really didn't know what I could do to calm her nerves.

"So, now that you're back in town you're going to have a lot of catching up to do at school. You are going to come back on Monday right? I mean, given how much you have already missed, another day is just going to add to the stack of work you have to do. I can tutor you if you want. I am in almost all of the same classes as you. Well, with the exception of P.E., I would rather take advanced trigonometry than get sweaty every day at school. Maybe they won't make you make it up though. I am sure your mom could pull some strings."

It took me a minute to process everything she had just said. After a minute I finally just responded, "Yes Caroline, I plan on being at school on Monday." She just smiled and let out an excited giggle. This in turn made me smile. She was excited for me to be back at school. That's a good sign right? Then I snapped out of it and thought about the reality of the situation. If I wanted to keep Caroline Forbes in my life I had to stop falling for her. I was already in so deep; falling deeper would only have terrible repercussions.

As these thoughts raced through my mind we pulled into to the Mystic Falls city limits – praise the lord! I don't think I could have handled much more of her rambling, or my own thoughts for that matter. As soon as she saw the welcome sign she became incredibly withdrawn and quite. She didn't say a word until we pulled into my driveway.

As we got out of my car she walked over to the driver's side door and gave me a hug, a really long hug. As she embraced me my mind starting drifting to places it shouldn't again. I tried to snap out of it, but I couldn't. On top of my already inappropriate thoughts she smelled so good. It was so hard to control myself. All I wanted to do was grab her and kiss her, but that would end badly.

"Tyler, thank you so much for being there for me. I am so glad your home." She started walking towards her car. Care, do you want me to go with you? Do you even know how you're going to handle it?

"No, but I think I am going to go talk it over with Stefan. At this point I think he would know the most rational way to handle the situation, and if worse comes to worse, we will just do what we did last time, and lock her in their basement until her vervain wears off."

"Ok, well just let me know if you need anything." It killed me that she had to go to Stephan for help. I desperately wanted to be that person for her. As she pulled out of the driveway I thought about how much she had changed me. She is the first girl I have ever truly cared about. It made me hurt to see her so upset. I didn't want her to suffer. I wanted to be the person to make things right for her. For me that was huge, three months ago I could have cared less about helping anyone.

I went inside after she left and set in the living room. As good as it felt to be home, I hated sitting in this empty house alone. There were so many bad memories, and whenever I was alone my mind always went there.

After twenty minutes I couldn't handle it anymore and decided to go on a run. Running has always helped me process and made me feel better. I ran for four miles and then decided to head back to my house. I hadn't seen my hospitalized mother in a day. I knew that she was fine, but if I didn't go visit her I would never hear the end of it. I also felt bad, she was probably bored out of her mind, and with my dad gone I really needed to step up my game and be there for her.

After returning home and showering I heard a knock at my door. Surprisingly when I opened it I found Caroline. She smiled and I couldn't really read the expression on her face. "Did you tell your mother already? Are you ok?"

"No, I went over to the Salvatore hose and I couldn't bring myself to ask for help, or tell them for that matter. They all looked so down and out of it still. I just couldn't."

"I am sorry Care. Are you still going to tell her, or are you going to wait till you can talk to them about it?"

"I really need to get it figured out before something bad happens. I have to talk to her tonight about it."

"Can I help you? Just tell me and I will do anything."

"I don't want to put you in any danger, but I was wondering if you could just be there? Just watch and listen outside in case something bad happens. I need to do it alone, but if something does go wrong you can call the others to warn them."

"Yeah Caroline, I will do anything, but I can guarantee you that if something goes wrong I am not going to let anything happen to you."

She just smiled, and with crossed fingers said, "Hopefully we won't have to worry about it."

The next thing I know I am waiting outside her house, and she is walking inside to talk to her mom. I feel like a coward just sitting outside waiting, but I get that this is something she needs to do on her own. As they started to talk I moved closer to the house and set on the porch. It started off calm at first. I heard her confront her mom and say, "I know what you and Matt did. He told me everything. Mom, I am not a monster. I won't hurt anyone. I am still Caroline. I am still your daughter."

Her mom sounds frazzled and confused, and the next thing I know I hear a drawer being opened. This made me really nervous. I wanted to go in, but it might be nothing.

Then I hear it, a gut wrenching scream that comes from Caroline's mouth. Within seconds I burst in her door making it in just enough time to see her mother shoot her with a wooden bullet. As she is cocking her gun, about to shoot again, I tackle her to the ground. Her gun goes off and I feel a sharp pain shoot though my shoulder. It didn't faze me; my adrenalin was though the roof. I grabbed the gun and then immediately crawled over to Caroline. The bullet had thankfully gone through her abdomen, and not her heart.

It wasn't the first time she had been shot, and that was my fault. I cringed at the thought. She was broken laying on the floor bleeding. Throughout all of the insane events of the last month or so, I had never seen her look so defeated. The blank stare on her face scared me.

I gently nudged at her arm, "Caroline, Caroline, are you ok?"

She returned my stare and shook her head no. I looked down at her wound and her eyes followed. She lifted up her shirt and pulled out the wooden bullet. After that she lost it and started crying. I let her fall into my arms and I tried to sooth her.

I looked up at her mom with anger, and she met my stare with a shocked and upset face. She started crying and walked towards us, and I instinctively pulled Caroline away from her.

"Tyler, its ok" she said. With tears in her eyes she managed to choke out, "I am not going to hurt her."

At that Caroline looked up and met her mother's gaze. "Caroline, I am so sorry. This is just so much to handle. I was taught that all vampires were horrible creatures. I have struggle for weeks now not knowing what to do. You still acted like my little girl and" she stopped, choked up for a minute. "and I didn't want to believe that you were gone. When you walked in and confronted me I didn't know what to do. I have never known vampires to still have their humanity. I just reacted off of my gut instinct and….i can't believe I just shot my daughter" she said as she lost control and began crying uncontrollably.

At that Caroline left my arms and ran to her mothers. "I am so sorry to put you through this mom. I never wanted this, but I am still your little girl. I would never hurt you, or anyone else for that matter. I-I can control myself. Please don't hate me. I am still Caroline; I am still your daughter."

Liz smiled and wiped her tears away and said, "I know, I have been watching you for weeks now. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did."

When everything had calmed down I finally felt the pain of the wooden bullet. I pulled it out of my shoulder with a small grunt as I winced in pain. Liz and Caroline both looked at me.

Caroline ran over to make sure that I was ok and Liz followed. She watched as my wound began healing and said in shock, "So you're really a werewolf?"

"Yes, unfortunately I am."

She was quiet for a minute and the said, "Tyler, I don't know how I could ever repay you. If you hadn't have been here I don't know what would have happened."

"It's ok; dealing with this all of this is, insane, for lack of a better word. Being let into this world, and all the secrets that it comes with isn't easy. The shock of it all can cause you to do crazy things – believe me I know. We are just lucky you raised such an incredible kind-hearted daughter." At that I looked at Caroline with a smile.

At that I stood up, "I should probably go, and give you two sometime to talk. I need to go visit my mom at the hospital anyways. Will you walk me out Caroline?"

"Sure."

When we had made it outside I asked her if she was ok. "I can stay if you want me to, but it looked like maybe you two could use a little time to sort things out."

"Thanks Tyler, but I should be ok." She gave me a hug and said, "I don't know what I would do without you." I held her for a minute and then started walking to my car.

As I was leaving, her mom stepped out onto the porch. "What on earth is going on with you two?" she said with a smile.

I shouldn't have been able to hear her, but with my new werewolf abilities it was loud and clear.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked.

"Well, I have known him his entire life and I have never seen him act like that around a girl."

"Were just good friends mom. We have been through a lot together. Being a werewolf has changed him."

"Maybe so" she said. "But I have also never seen you act like that with anyone before. Not even Matt. Whether you realize it or not, I think there is a lot more going on than friendship between you two."

With that I pulled away smiling, I didn't really care to hear Caroline's response.


	5. Chapter 5

When his alarm clock went off Monday morning the last thing Tyler wanted to do was get out of bed. He wasn't ready to go to school and deal with the inevitable uproar that would come with his return. While Mystic Falls held its secrets, it was still a small town. Everyone knew everyone, and they made it their business to worry about things that were really none of their concern. The distraction from his life this weekend with Caroline had been nice, but now it was time to face reality.

As he became more conscious his thoughts focused in on Caroline, and he remembered the events of the previous night. He got up and began getting ready for school; before getting in the shower he sent her a text message to check on her.

"Morning Caroline, I just wanted to check and make sure everything was copasetic at the home front after last night."

"Thanks, everything is fine. I am already at school working on some stuff. You better still be coming today, or you will feel my wrath. It's not pretty, trust me! See you soon. "

"Forbes, I would honestly like to see you're so called wrath."

"You make fun all you want Tyler, but if you don't get yourself here on time, I will hunt you down bring the pain."

At that Tyler just shook his head and grinned as he stepped into the shower. After everything that had gone on last night she was up at school working on stuff at six thirty in the morning...typical Caroline. He didn't know how after everything she had been put through, but she managed to be herself and stay positive. He admired her so much for that. She didn't let the darkness consume her. Hell, come to think of it she kept the darkness from consuming him to.

As he pulled into the parking lot he could feel it – the shocked stares. It felt like the entire school was looking at him. No one really knew what had happened to him. Disappearances were quite common around Mystic Falls, and they normally didn't make it back. Several rumors went through the school after he had left. There were those that thought he was dead and gone forever, some even suggested that is mother had shipped him off to military school for being such and embarrassment to the family.

Everyone was in such a state of shock their eyes followed him from his truck to the school doors. Once he was inside the stares continued. He really just wanted to turn around, run back out the door to his car and leave, but that would just draw even more attention. No one was even able to form words and talk to him until he had reached his locker.

The first person to approach him was Allie Barret. It didn't surprise him because she'd had a crush on him since freshman year. She was a nice girl, but nice girls had never really been his type.

"Tyler, I can't believe your back. We didn't think that we would ever see you again. How are you? Where have you been?"

"Uh, I am fine….." As he was stumbling to answer the second part of the question Caroline saved him.

"Well, I am glad you decided to come. It's nice to see that you take my threats seriously." she said as she hugged him.

"I hate to break it to you Caroline, but it was really more the threat from my mom last night that got me here."

They both laughed and it was obvious their conversation made Allie a little jealous and uncomfortable. Allie gave Tyler a warm smile and said, "Well, I am glad your back, see you around."

Tyler thanked her, and laughed a little as she gave Caroline the look of death before walking off.

"Uh, sorry if I interrupted your moment there" Caroline said with a giggle.

"You have perfect timing actually. I really need to figure out what I am going to tell everyone about my disappearing act."

"Just tell them you went and spent time with some relatives. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Not to mention that any explanation you give them will get twisted out of sorts anyways."

A smile crossed his face as he thought about something for a second. "Ok, and I guess if anyone gives me trouble I have the wrath of Caroline I can sick on them"

"Oh no, you have to fight your own battles there sir."

As they bantered back and forth Matt walked by without saying a word to either of them, but he did manage to give them an icy glare.

Caroline sighed.

"Are you ok" Tyler asked her.

"Yeah, I am fine. It hurts a little, but I really am just tired of dealing with the drama of it all. I wish we could at least be friends."

"Maybe one day things will work out", Tyler said. He wasn't sure if he really meant it though. He did miss his friend, but he also knew that, despite everything, Matt still loved Caroline. If Matt warmed up to all the supernatural stuff they would end up together again, and things wouldn't be the same with Caroline if that happened, and she had become his life line.

The warning bell rang and she began dragging him to class. "Now, I know it has been a long time, but we do have first period together."

Tyler shot an annoyed glance her way as he was pulled to his first class in nearly a month.

By the time lunch had come around Tyler had talked to all of his football friends. He was surprised how quick being at school felt like a normal thing again.

That didn't stop everyone else from watching his every move however. They all stared in shock as Tyler walked passed all of his friends to go sit with Caroline.

"I really wish everyone would quit watching my every move. I don't get it. I was only gone for a month."

"I think it is a combination of a lot of things Tyler. Everyone was intrigued by your disappearance, but they are also puzzled by your return. You really did change quite a bit over the past month. You seem calmer and much more at ease."

"Yeah, I guess so. I hope it doesn't last much longer" he said with a hint of frustration in his voice. In an attempt to change the subject he asked Caroline about her mother. "So everything went ok with your mom last night?"

"As good as it could have gone I guess. Once the emotional stuff went away I felt her put her guard back up. We are ok for now I think, but she is just really lost. She has grown up her entire life hating vampires, and now her daughter is one. She is expected to keep the town safe and she has the council breathing down her back, but now she knows about me and is at a loss trying to figure out her new role."

"I am sorry you have to go through that."

"No, it's ok. I feel better about it now than I have in a long time. At least she knows and I don't have to hide it from her anymore, and the added bonus is that she seems semi ok with it."

Seeing a hint of sadness in her eyes Tyler decided to change the subject. "Speaking of mothers, I have to go pick mine up from the Hospital after school."

"Oh, can I come with you? I feel bad, with everything that happened I never did make it in to visit her."

"Yeah, that's fine. Oddly enough, she has always really liked you."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? Oddly Enough?"

"No, don't take it the wrong way; she has just never liked many of the girls that I hung around with."

"Oh, well I guess I will take that as a compliment. You never really have had the best taste in girls."

After they finished up their lunches Tyler walked her to her class. Everyone watched them in astonishment, including Matt, but they didn't seem to notice. To them their friendship had become such a natural thing. They had never stopped and thought that others might find their new found closeness shocking.

After school Tyler found Caroline in the gym decorating something. It was all flowery and girly looking, and Tyler had no idea what it was. "What on earth is that? It looks like….well I don't even know, but I can tell you that there are way too many flowers on it."

Caroline shot Tyler an icy glare and said, "Lockwood, there is no such thing as to many flowers – especially when it comes to prom!"

"Uhh, prom is coming up isn't it? I really hate school dances. Last year prom was miserable. I am avoiding it at all costs this year."

"Tyler, maybe it was miserable because you took a druggie last year. If you actually went with someone that you liked you might actually have a good time. Last year Matt….." and Caroline suddenly stopped herself.

Tyler saw the immediate change in her demeanor and quickly changed the subject. "There is nothing you can do to convince me prom will be fun. Now are you going to come with me to get my mom or not? I am sure she is giving the nurses hell at this point."

"Ahh, I can only imagine. Just help me put this back in the storage closet and we can go."

As they were walking towards the closet Tyler said, "Now what the hell is this? I still can't figure it out."

"Really Tyler? It's a picture backdrop. Isn't it obvious?" She got all giddy and said, "I picked colors that match my dress."

"You already have a dress?"

"Well yeah, I bought it three months ago."

Tyler just shook his head and shut the closet door. Caroline was a vampire and yet she was still worried about prom dresses and matching pictures.

They took Tyler's truck to the hospital, and sure enough Carol Lockwood was raising hell. "What do you mean I can't leave? Don't you know who I am? I am the mayor of Mystic Falls. If I want to walk out the doors right now you can't do anything to stop me."

The look on the nurse's face was priceless. Caroline wondered how long Carol had been at it. As they walked up Tyler said, "Calm down mom, I am here and we can go. No need to threaten the man's job."

Carol started to respond, but was immediately sidetracked when she saw who had come with Tyler.

"Oh Caroline, what are you doing here?"

"I just thought I would come with Tyler to take you home. I feel bad that I never got to come visit you while you were here."

"Well, that was so nice of you. Tyler, it is about time you stated associating yourself with better company." Carol immediately took charge and led them out to the car. She walked side by side with Caroline talking about god knows what, and Tyler followed behind thinking. He did know how he felt about falling for a girl that his mother not only liked, but adored. This was uncharted territory for him.


	6. Chapter 6

It was Thursday night, and Tyler found himself at the dinner table with his mom. It had been nearly three weeks since she had come home from the hospital, and things were finally getting back to normal. Well, as normal as things could be at the Lockwood house. He hated family dinner. It consisted of him eating while his mom continuously worked on town matters and important events Tyler could care less about. When she was actually physically and mentally at the table she badgered him with questions about school, his friendship with Matt, and Caroline Forbes. Lucky for him Caroline joined them for a lot of family dinners now a days, and his mom couldn't bring up most of these topics when she was around.

"Tyler, I just don't get it. She is a fine girl, probably the best you have ever brought around the house, and yet you deny having any feelings for her. "

Tyler shot her an irritated look and focused back on the matter at hand – eating dinner.

"Don't look at me like that. You're my son and I can tell you like her. It's written all over your face, and quite frankly she is good for you. I have never seen you so calm and at ease before."

Tyler threw his fork down on the table. "Mom will you just back off. Caroline is my friend, a really good friend, and that is all we will ever be – good friends."

"You are so stubborn. You have always gone after everything you wanted. You actually find a decent girl that won't disgrace the family, and now you're afraid."

At that Tyler stands up and throws his napkin over his plate. "I am not afraid to go for it mom. It's very simple. I like Caroline as a friend – and a friend only. If I wanted to date her, I would date her! Now do me a favor and drop it." he said as angrily walked away from the table, knowing deep down that he is only getting upset because she is right.

"Josh is having a party for the football team tonight. I am going to go. Don't wait up for me."

With an exasperated sigh Carol says, "Ok Tyler, but be safe. Oh, and tell Caroline hi for me will you."

With that Tyler shook his head and walked out the door towards his truck. He spent most of the drive to Caroline's house trying not to think about her. That however, was and epic fail! When he pulled into her driveway he realized that the only thing he had thought about, was trying not to think about Caroline.

He was about to get out of his truck when she swung the door open and began walking towards him. At that moment he was thankful for her supernatural vampire hearing, because he would have stopped dumbfounded the second he saw her. Being in his truck it wasn't as obvious with him just sitting there.

She is gorgeous, he thought to himself. She was wearing a skin tight tank top, a ruffled skirt, and a pair of heals that made her look unbelievably sexy. She was showing just enough skin to drive a man crazy, while still looking incredibly classy. If it had been anyone else other than Caroline, he would have made sure they didn't make it to the party.

"Hey Tyler! How was the dreaded family dinner with your mom?"

"Just dandy!" he said with a sarcastic sigh.

She chucked to herself and said, "Sorry I left you hanging. I know she attacks you less when I am there, but it takes girls time to get ready you know."

"If you say so, I don't see why it takes you so long."

"Guys, just don't get it. I wish all I had to do was wash my hair and thrown on a pair of clothes."

Tyler just shot her a look and said, "I am actually glad you missed tonight. I didn't really care for her choice conversation topic."

"Oooh, what did I miss?"

"Trust me, it's nothing I am going to waste my time bring up again."

"Well fine, I will just ask her tomorrow night at dinner."

"If that's how it's going to be you are uninvited to dinner."

"Please, your mother likes me better than she likes you. If anyone is uninvited to Lockwood family dinner it is you my friend."

Tyler just laughed and said, "Nice Caroline, very nice."

As they pulled up to the party everyone watched, including Matt. Tyler had really hoped that the incessant staring would have stopped by now, but it hadn't.

It wasn't so much that they were staring over Tyler's shocking return anymore. It seemed more like everyone was just as confused by their relationship as Tyler was, and they were all watching, waiting to see what was going on.

As they got out of his truck and walked deeper into the woods towards the party everyone refocused to what they were doing before. Tyler walked over to the keg and grabbed them each a beer.

They talked for a minute, but then went their separate ways to see their friends. That was the glorious part of their relationship, they balanced each other out. They could come together, go their separate ways and have fun, and then leave together happy as could be. That is part of what intrigued everyone. They were close and appeared to like each other, but Caroline wasn't needy with him, and Tyler wasn't a controlling ass hole with her. So did they even like each other? If not what were they doing spending so much time together?

Caroline was making her way over to Elena and Bonnie. Given everything that has been going on lately they both seem to be in rather chipper moods. As she got closer to them she overheard Allie Barret complaining to her friends. "What is going on with Tyler and Caroline? I can't believe how quickly she is moving over to Matt's best friend. It is obviously causing trouble between them, but then again Caroline probably doesn't care who she runs over to make herself happy."

One of her friends laughed and said. "Oh hush Allie, you're just jealous because you've wanted Tyler since middle school and he doesn't give you the time of day."

At that Caroline turned and gave Tyler a look. She could tell he was listening and shook her head with a smile.

He laughed and shrugged his shoulders before turning away to find his football friends.

It was fun for a while, and took his mind off things, but after a few beers and making eye contact with Caroline, he couldn't think about anything else but her and how gorgeous she looked tonight. As much as he tried to convince himself that they were just friends he knew it was a lie, at least on his part. It was too much of a risk to confront Caroline about it though. After everything that has happened between them she will have to be the one to make the move. He won't be rejected or scare her away again, and at this point putting a strain on their friendship would be devastating to him.

He glanced at her again, only to see her and Matt make eye contact. Matt walked away and he could see the hurt written all over Caroline's face. This only solidified the fact that she didn't feel the same way about him, and he once again tried to push his thoughts of her out of his mind.

Elena and Bonnie were not blind, they could see what was going on, but they had known better than to bring it up, until tonight that is.

Elena gave Caroline a look and said, "Ok, I can't stand by without asking questions anymore. What on earth is going on with your love life?"

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked. "Matt broke up with me because he couldn't handle what I was. It was just too much for him. You already know this."

Bonnie chimed in and said "Yeah, we do Caroline. However, there seems to be a boy that is more than willing to handle you, and it appears to me, you don't mind on bit."

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it. We are friends, and it hasn't even been a month since Matt broke up with me."

"Ok, well answer us this. Putting all thoughts of Matt to the side, how would you feel about Tyler then?"

Caroline thought for a minute before spotting Tyler and making eye contact with him. She turned to the girls and was answerless, but her face said it all. They felt good enough about the progress they had made and decided to let her off the hook.

Carline went and grabbed and beer and sat by the stream alone, thinking about the last three weeks and all of the time she had spent with Tyler made her smile. She realized she hadnt felt this much like a normal teenager since she was turned. Two more beers later and her mind was racing think about all the fun they have had together recently.

In three weeks they had gone camping and rock climbing. Even with her newfound powers Caroline was a hot mess. Being outdoors just wasn't her thing.

She had attempted to have several unsuccessful cooking lessons with Tyler. It took quite a few times for her to realize that he was just tricking her into making his favorite foods when he was hungry. She laughed thinking about how his lack of interest two minutes into the lesson eventually gave away his devious plan.

As she was thinking Tyler walked up and found her sitting alone by a stream, drinking, listening to an i-pod. He frowned knowing exactly what she was doing – sulking over Matt. He walked to her and sat down.

"Drinking alone Caroline? Sure sign you're turning into an alcoholic."

She laughed, and he could tell she was pretty drunk. "I was just thinking about everything lately. It's all so confusing. I was so deep in thought, and then the next thing I knew I was six beers in."

He just looked at her with a blank stare and said, "ok, well we better get you home."

Caroline gave him a puzzled look. Here she had been sitting by a stream for the last hour thinking about him and he seemed grouchy.

"Well fine, let's just go then." and she stomped off alone to Tyler's truck.

He rolled his eyes and followed her. At one point she stumbled and he picked her up as she was about to fall over a rock. He had grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in close to steady her. She turned her head and stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

Tyler finally let go of her and broke their stare. Come on champ, let's get you home.

"Tyler, can I just stay with you tonight? I really don't want to be alone, or alone with my mother for that matter. I don't want to deal with the awkwardness if she is home tonight."

"Yeah, that's fine Caroline."

Vampires are supposed to be sneaky, but not Caroline, at least not when she was drunk. It was a miracle they made it to his room without waking his mom up. He laid Caroline down on his bed and went to do the same on his couch.

"Tyler, we can both laydown in the bed – stop being ridicules. I know for a fact that couch isn't comfortable, and if you sleep on it I am sleeping on the floor. "

He was too tired to even argue about it with Caroline. He laid down in the bed and they both instantly drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Tyler and Caroline were both woken up Friday morning by the sound of Carol Lockwood's voice.

"Tyler it's time to get up for school." She was halfway down the hall to his room before it registered with them what was about to happen. With wide eyes, Caroline immediately jumped out of the arms she had somehow found herself in, and shot Tyler a panicked look as his mother was about to open the door.

He pointed and quietly whispered, "get in the closet." Within less than a second she was there, just as his mom walked in.

"Well, you look like hell."

"Good morning to you too mom." Tyler said in a condescending tone.

"Tyler Aaron Lockwood I don't want to hear you take that tone with me again. Maybe if you were to make it home before three in the morning, loud and obviously intoxicated, we wouldn't have these conversations. "

"Fine, now will you get out so I can get ready for school."

Ignoring his request she continued the conversation. "Please tell me you got Caroline home at a decent time. I do a great deal of work with the sheriff and I do not need anything compromising our relationship."

"Mom, you don't even know if Caroline was there. It was a party for the football team."

"Tyler, a mother just knows. You two are connected at the hip." As she turned around to walk away she said, "and I really suggest you think long and hard about the conversation we had at dinner last night. You should just stop fighting it."

As the door shut Tyler turned bright red and balled his fists up in irritation. He quickly took a few deep breaths and then walked over to open the door of his closet. As it slid open, it revealed Caroline sitting on the floor giggling.

With a laugh Caroline said, "Tyler Aaron Lockwood! I would really like for you to tell me what last night's dinner conversation was about. I hadn't forgotten, and after that, I am more curios than ever! "

"None of your business Forbes! Now why don't you go home and get ready for school. I am sure there is some committee or group meeting you shouldn't be late for."

She stood up and readjusted the clothes Tyler had lent her to sleep in the night before. "Ok, see you at school, but don't think this conversation is over. I will pester you until you cave."

He opened the window and said, "Well good luck with that. I'll see you at school."

At that she shot him a wicked grin, gave him a hug, and jumped out of the window. After she was out of sight, Tyler fell backwards on his bed where he lost himself in thought. He vowed after everything he wouldn't make the first move, and strain their friendship, but it was almost too much to take. When he is with her it takes every ounce of control he has to keep from pulling her into a passionate kiss every time they make eye contact. The thought of kissing her made his mind wandered farther than it ever had before. When he snapped out of it he glanced at the clock, and decided that it was time to get in the shower – a very cold shower.

As Caroline approached her house she was relived to find that her mom was nowhere to be found. When she reached her room she grabbed her scrapbook and a blood bag. Lying on her bed she looked at a picture of her and Tyler from about a month ago. They had decided to camp out in Tyler's back yard since their first camping trip wasn't exactly Caroline's cup of tea. When Caroline had shown up at his house that night Tyler had set up a huge tent with a fan, couch, television and even a real mattress. It had been so much fun. They didn't get an ounce of sleep because they stayed up laughing and talking the whole night. At one point Mrs. Lockwood had to come out side and tell them they were distracting her from her beauty sleep.

Caroline had a huge smile plastered across her face thinking about that night. She flipped back a couple of pages and saw a picture of her and Matt. She thought about the one time she had gone camping with him, and how it wasn't very much fun. Every little thing she did was wrong. He rode her entire trip.

She missed having Matt as her friend, but she came to the sudden realization that she wasn't meant to be with Matt. She didn't know it at the time, but now she was starting to realize how bad her relationship with him really was. Knowing this made her feel like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. At this point she was more than ok to not be with Matt. More than anything she just missed her friend, and hopefully that is something that she would eventually be able to fix.

Now that she had come to terms with the break up, the reality of her situation with Tyler became a little more real and intense. Even if Tyler wanted to be with her too, she was a vampire and he was a werewolf. This reminded her that there were only a few more days till the next full moon. There were so many thoughts running through her head and she just couldn't handle it. Caroline groaned and started to get ready for school pushing all of these thoughts to the back of her mind.

She left her house a little early that morning so she could get a jumpstart on all of the prom stuff that was on her to-do list. When she pulled into the parking lot she noticed that Matt's car was there, and he was walking into the school. She quickly parked and jumped out of the car. She called after him and he turned around with a blank stare on his face.

"What do you need Caroline?"

"Look, we really haven't talked since that night, and I really just want to clear the air between us."

"Ok, but I am not ready ….."

"I know, I know, just let me say what I need to say and then you can decide what you want to do. If you want me to leave you alone and never talk to you again, then so be it, but I just need to get this off my chest. "

"Ok."

"Vampire or not, I realize now that we aren't meant to be together. It just never would have worked – we are too different. We connected at a time when we really needed each other, and then we were both just too afraid to realize when it should have ended. Part of that was because you were one of my best friends, you were my first love Matt, and I just couldn't imagine not having you in my life. These past couple of months, the awkwardness and distance between us has made me realize that I can manage just fine without you. However, I will tell you that I value your friendship, and I hope one day you are ready to handle all this and be my friend, and if you are, I will be there ready."

At that she gave him a hug, but he was to in shock to return the sentiment. She shot him a smile and turned towards the door. Matt just stood there and watched her walk away – in total shock.

As she walked through the quiet halls of the school she was in a somber mood. She went to the supply room that was holding all of the prom decorations, but didn't end up working on a thing. She sat at a desk and thought about everything that was going on. Now that Matt was out of the picture she felt free, like she could do anything she wanted. However, deep down what she really wanted was complicated by death, curses, warring species and so many messed up, unthinkable, realities. She decided that she didn't want to be at school, she just needed a day to process. She quickly got up, compelled the office lady to excuse her for the day and left. She decided she wanted to go for a walk so she drove the park, got out of her car, and walked into the woods. It was a gorgeous day and she just hoped it would help clear her head.

After an hour she felt her phone vibrate. She had a text from Tyler.

"Where are you at? Is everything ok? "

"Yeah, I am fine. Just didn't feel like being at school?"

"You are not ok! Caroline Forbes just doesn't feel like being at school when prom is in like t-five days? I am worried."

"Haha, really Tyler I am fine. I just decided to go for a walk in the woods."

"You, Caroline, voluntarily walked into the woods? Who are you, and what did you do with my friend? You should comeback for fifth period, you are my lab partner. It would be cruel to leave me hanging."

"Ok, I will think about it."

Fifth Period was about to start and Tyler was patiently waiting and hoping Caroline would show. Sure enough, she walked in right as the bell rang.

"So Caroline, what's up with you? Walking in the woods? You don't really like being in the woods if you don't have to. Are you sure everything is ok?"

"Yeah, Tyler, I am fine."

"I don't believe you!"

"Ok, tell me what you were talking about with your mom the other night at dinner, and I will tell you what is on my mind."

"Nope, not going to happen."

She smiled a wicked smile, and said, "Ok, then drop it!"

The smile he shot back at her was intense. Their eyes locked, and she knew she was a goner. It was suddenly clear to her. The walk this afternoon was nice, but not necessary. All it took was one look from him, and right or wrong, she knew she wanted to be with Tyler Lockwood. At that moment she knew she was prepared to put up with any repercussions from that decision.


	8. Chapter 8

After her last class she met Tyler at his locker. "I am going to go home and get a few things done, but I will come over around six for dinner. Maybe we can find something fun to do after that?"

"Caroline, I already told you that I uninvited you from the hell that is Lockwood family dinner. Remember?"

She shot him a smile and started to turn around to walk away. "Well, I will see you for dinner at six Tyler. Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I wanted to talk to your mom about last night's conversation topic at dinner."

Before he could even respond she had turned the corner and disappeared out of his sight. He grabbed the rest of his books and shut his locker door. As he made his way outside to his truck he heard someone call his name from behind. He instantly froze knowing who the voice belonged to, and sure enough, when he turned around he was face to face with Matt.

Awkwardly, Tyler said. "Hey man, what's up?"

"Look Tyler, I really need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere?"

This made Tyler a little nervous. Why did Matt want to talk to him all of a sudden? Not knowing what this was all about Tyler decided it would be best to take control of the situation.

"Uh…yeah…sure, let's go somewhere else though. I will drive."

Matt followed Tyler to his truck. The drive was awkward; neither of them spoke a word until Tyler pulled into a clearing in the woods.

"So what did you want to talk about Matt?

"I don't know man. I know I haven't been handling this situation well. I have been a terrible friend to you and Caroline, but everything that has been going on is huge, and I still don't think I have my head wrapped around it. I am already stressed out enough with everything in my life, and I just don't know what to do anymore. I guess I just wanted to say that I am sorry, and I miss my friend. I really am going to make an effort to be ok with all of this eventually. I know it probably will never be the same with us, but I don't like how it is now."

Tyler didn't know what to say. He sat in the driver's seat for what felt like an eternity mauling over what Matt had just said. On one hand he did miss his friend, and Tyler had caused his fair share of hurt in their friendship, which Matt had always forgiven him for. However, on the other hand he was still so angry at him for deceiving Caroline like he had. She didn't deserve that. He finally looked Matt in the eye and said, "I don't know, things are just so different now. There is so much going on in my life, so much that you don't know about, and after what you did to Caroline I just don't know if I can trust you. Trust me, I know first-hand what it is like to find all of this stuff out, and I don't blame you for being shocked and upset, but working with her mom initially? I mean what did you even plan on doing, were you going to kill her?"

"No, I know I could have never done that. When I found out what she was I was just so shocked. I found out everything at once and I freaked, and that is something I am not proud of. I went to her mom and she had me go on about life with Caroline to get information, but what I learned is that she isn't really all that different. She was still the same Caroline I loved. Then you came back and all hell broke loose. I was thrown directly in the middle of all of it, and I didn't think I could handle it. Hell, I still don't know if I can, but I would like to try. After Caroline talked to me this morning it broke the ice, and I just don't want things to stay the way they are now. "

"Wait when did you talk to Caroline?"

"Early this morning before school. It made me realize that she had given up on me. It caught me by surprise really, I never expected her to give up me. Senior year is coming up and I just want us all to try and at least be friends. "

Tyler sighed and turned the truck back on, He headed towards the school, and when he pulled up to Matt's car he turned to him and said, "I really appreciate you talking to me man, and I think maybe in time we can get to a good place again. We are all just going to have to be patient till it happens. "

Tyler then turned his truck back around and headed home. When he pulled into the drive it finally clicked. Caroline skipped school this morning because she was upset about Matt. He should have known. He sighed and slammed the door to his truck. He had hoped by now that she could start letting him go. Caroline was his best friend, but being friends with her was driving him nuts and stressing him out.

He decided to go for a run to clear his head. While running, his mind was going a million miles an hour and he was lost in thought. When he finally snapped back to reality he noticed his surroundings. He was clear on the other side of town. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew he needed to hightail it back home if he was going to make it for dinner.

When he reached his driveway he saw Caroline's car. He hoped she hadn't been their long, because there was no telling what his mom was doing to entertain her. He picked up his speed until he reached the back door of the house. He walked inside to find dirty dishes in the sink, and a plate of leftovers for him on the counter top. Next, he glanced at the clock and realized it was 7:30. He franticly started searching the house for them. He hoped to god his mom wasn't harassing Caroline like she harassed him last night about their relationship. After carefully listening for their voices he found them in a storage room.

His mother looked at him as he burst through the door breathing heavily. "Tyler, how nice of you to finally join us. Where on earth did you go?"

"Sorry, I went for a run and just lost track of time. What are you two doing?"

"Oh, I was just telling your mom about being in charge of the prom committee during dinner and she brought me up here to show me all of her old prom dresses and pictures."

"Yes, Caroline described to me what her dress looks like and it sounds gorgeous. Tyler, did you know that Caroline doesn't have a date yet?"

Caroline's eyes went wide as she quickly shifted her line of vision to the floor. Tyler then shot his mom the look of death and offered Caroline a hand.

"Let's go figure out what we're going to do tonight." Caroline instantly agreed and used Tyler's hand to pull herself up. As they passed the kitchen Tyler grabbed his plate of leftovers and then headed up to his room. He sat down on his couch and began inhaling his food.

"Whoa, don't choke."

"Back off,I went on an hour and a half run – I am hungry."

She sat down next to him and said, "Yeah, about that. What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tyler, come on you know you only run like that when you're trying to de-stress."

With an irritated voice he said "Caroline, I am fine. I am just antsy because it is getting closer to the full moon."

Knowing it was time to back off she said, "Ok, so what's the plan for the night."

"Oh yeah, go grab the box from underneath my bed."

Caroline walked over to his bed and pulled out and old brown box. She opened it up and found a surplus of liquor. "Good lord, this stash is huge Tyler."

"Yeah, I have been collecting stray bottles from the leftover parties here for years. The unopened ones are ours from the lake. I still can't believe we passed out. Two teenagers alone at the lake with booze, and we fall asleep early – just shameful. "

"As I recall there was no we. I got out of the shower and you were passed out on the bed. "

"Well princess, if you didn't take forty five minute long showers it wouldn't have been an issue." Caroline then proceeded to throw a pillow at his head. He dropped his fork to his plate and caught it with one hand while still chewing.

"Man, I really think your reflexes are getting faster." Tyler just shrugged, dropped the pillow and picked his fork back up.

"Are you ready for the full moon?"

Tyler shot her an annoyed look and said "That is the last thing I want to talk about. Can you just drop it?"

Caroline was so frustrated and disappointed. She finally decided she wants to be with Tyler and he is acting like a jerk. "Yeah sure, how about we talk about why you're being an ass tonight instead?"

He looked up at her and got even more frustrated. He thought about how she probably, if given the chance, would rather be hanging out with Matt anyways. "You know what Caroline, why don't you just go home, I don't really feel like hanging out with you tonight."

Caroline's face fell as she nodded her head, and she got up and left without saying a word. As she walked down the stairs and out the door she couldn't help but wonder what in the hell she was doing with Tyler. She felt like running away from Mystic Falls and never looking back. As she was opening up her car door she heard Tyler call her name.

As soon as he saw Caroline's face he regretted getting upset and yelling at her. She was the last person he needed to be taking his aggression out on. He loved her, and being a dick wasn't going to make her fall for him. He got up and ran to the window as he heard her car door. He threw his window open and called out for her. "Caroline wait, don't go, I will be down in a second."

Her head told her to get in the car and go. She was tired of dealing with it all, and she just wanted to go home and go to bed. Her heart told her to stay though, and her heart has always ultimately controlled her head. She looked up and saw Tyler walking towards her with two bottles. He knew her so well; a bottle of whiskey for himself, and a bottle of tequila for her.

"Caroline, I am really sorry. I shouldn't have let myself get upset. The last thing I want is for you to leave. With everything going on, you're the only person that I feel like I can be myself around; and when you're not around I feel like the walls are closing in on me. "

She smiled and gave him a hug. With an apology like that she had to forgive him. "So, what are you planning on doing with those two bottles of liquor?"

"Well my friend, we are going to drink them, get sloppy drunk, and forget about all of our problems."

Caroline grabbed the tequila and said "Sounds good to me."

Tyler chuckled and said "oh, and no worries Caroline, in an hour you won't even care that prom is quickly approaching and you are still dateless."

Caroline then punched him in the arm, rendering it useless, and walked towards the gazebo by the pond. "Uhhh, I guess I deserved that."

"Damn straight Lockwood!"

Caroline sat on the gazebo bench and took in all of the beauty that surrounded her. When Tyler had finally managed to make it over there, she had an electric smile that he couldn't help but stare at. She was so beautiful. He chuckled at himself thinking about how different things were now. A couple of months ago, putting all of the supernatural stuff aside, if someone had told him that he would fall for Caroline Forbes , he probably would have punched them for being so idiotic. But now, here he was, feeling like his heart was going to explode out of his chest because he wanted her so bad. God he felt so pathetic. He was pining over his best friend, who was still hung-up on another guy. He let out a frustrated sigh and forced himself to stop staring at her. This caught Caroline's attention "Oh come on Lockwood, I didn't hit you that hard. You can be such a baby sometimes."

He just laughed and told Caroline to watch it. He sat down next to her and they toasted before drinking their booze straight from the bottle.

"God Ty, we are so classy, you know it?"

She had never called him that before. He had always hated when people called him Ty, but he liked how it sounded rolling off her tongue. He also like the fact that she felt comfortable enough around him to him that. "Yeah, we are the picture of class. Thank god my mom is oblivious. I don't know what she would be more upset about, us drinking alcohol, or us drinking liquor straight from the bottle?"

By then end of the night both bottles were gone, and all of their worries were pushed aside. Caroline started talking about how she could take Tyler on any day of the month, well, with the exception of one that is. He took her words as a challenge, and they drunkenly started wrestling in the grass. Tyler held his own with her, but he knew good and well she would have kicked his ass if she would have been sober. He managed to get Caroline pinned down on her back, and then suddenly became very aware that he was laying on top of her, their faces only a few inches apart. He looked down at her and their eyes locked. He wanted to kiss her desperately, but he thought better of it. He quickly rolled off of her in the grass. Caroline laughed it off so there was no awkwardness between them, but was secretly disappointed. Maybe he really didn't feel that way about her. It was the perfect opportunity for him to make a move and Tyler dodged it, and since when does Tyler Lockwood not go after what he wants? Maybe that first kiss was just because he was overcome with confusion and emotion. Caroline sighed and pushed the thoughts from her head, she was too drunk to stress out about it right now.

They stayed up the rest of the night talking and laughing, and then spent all day Saturday sleeping and watching TV in his room. Caroline went home Saturday night and found a note from her mom.

"Had to go into work early. I should be off by dinner." She looked at the clock and it was 8:30. She obviously never made it home for dinner. Caroline thought to herself "and even better, she didn't notice I never came home lastnight. Who knows, maybe she did, and is ok with it because she is still uncomfortable around me? " She spent the day finishing up prom stuff, working on homework and texting with Tyler.

By Monday morning when she saw Tyler in the hallway she couldn't take it anymore. She had to talk to him about how she was feeling. She didn't know exactly how he felt, but he had kissed her before. That had to mean something, right? She marched over to him and said "I really want to talk to you about something after school. I know that the full moon is tonight, but I really need to talk to you about some stuff."

"Sure, that's fine." Tyler was happy Caroline had approached him this morning. He had been thinking about doing something all day long Sunday and was tired of wondering what if. He had been so preoccupied with it he hadn't even spent much time thinking about the full moon. It was now or never, he was going to ask her to prom. He knew that she had had her heart set on going with Matt; but he was going to ask her, and make it so special she would forget all about Matt. He needed to prove to her how good they could be together, and show her they could make it work. He knew that regardless of what they were they could work. Together they could make it work.

"Look Caroline, there is actually something I wanted to ask you. I was wondering if you would want…."

Caroline looked at his cute nervous grin and new instantly what he wanted to ask her. He was going to as her to prom. Tyler Lockwood, who hated all social school functions, was about to ask her to prom. She was sure she had an embarrassing grin on her face, but she didn't care, Tyler was asking her to PROM!

As he was about to finish his sentence he was interrupted by a voice that made her cringe. It was Matt, the one and only person that could screw this up for her right now. "Hey Caroline, I wanted to talk to you."

"Well actually Matt now…"

As she spoke she never dropped her eye contact with Tyler. His face had gone from nervous to disappointed in seconds. "No Caroline, its fine. We can talk about it after school." He then turned back to his locker to grab the rest of his things. He lingered longer than he should have to listen to what Matt way saying.

"Listen Care, after you said what you did yesterday it really made me think. I was so wrong to act the way I did, but I was just really freaked out. I want to Try and deal with it though. I know we can make this work, and I was wondering if we could maybe start trying at prom? I want to go to prom with you like we had always planned."

That was all Tyler needed to hear. He shut his locker and walked off angry. He was going to lose her. Not only would he never have her love, but now that she was getting back together with Matt their friendship wouldn't be the same either.

"Look Matt, I am flattered by the offer, but I meant what I said yesterday. I will always love you as a friend, but I am not in love with you anymore. And it is very obvious that you don't love me either. At least not how I want to be loved. I don't want someone that is going to have to try to 'deal' with me. We both deserve better than that and you know it."

"This is about Tyler isn't it? Don't fall for it Caroline. You don't know the real Tyler. He is going to say whatever it takes to…."

"No, you just stop right there. You don't know anything about Tyler or who he is. He isn't the same person anymore and I won't let you talk about him like that." At that she turned around to face Tyler's locker and realized he had left. The bell rang and she booked it to first period, hoping he would still have the courage to ask her. When she got there she looked in the room and noticed he wasn't there. She decided to go find him and finally get everything worked out. She walked around until she heard someone pounding the shit out of a punching bag. She walked to the weight room and peered in to see Tyler looking more upset and angry than she had seen him since he came back.

"Tyler, what are you doing?"

"Jesus Caroline, I just didn't feel like going to first period. Lay off, alright?"

"Sorry, I am not here to judge I just wanted to talk to you. What did you want to ask me earlier?"

"It was nothing ok. I just wanted to ask you not to be around for the full moon tonight. I can handle it on my own. I don't need you there." He couldn't help himself, and it came out before he could even think about it. "You can just go hangout with Matt or something. I am sure you have a lot of catching up to do before prom."

Caroline was pissed. She felt like she had been stabbed in the chest. He didn't need here there? After everything, he didn't want her around because he thought she was getting back together with Matt? She couldn't believe that he was acting like this after everything they had gone through. She was seeing red and she had to walk away. She said "fine", and then left the weight room. She walked down the halls, passed her first hour, past the questioning principal, and left the school. She didn't care what the consequences were. She would deal with her mom later. She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to calm herself down. She tried hunting, drinking blood, running and breathing exercises. No matter what she did, she was pissed! She finally decided she knew what she needed to do. She wasn't going to feel any better until she let Tyler have a piece of her mind.

At five o'clock Caroline marched herself down to the Lockwood cellar and found Tyler dragging chains out of his truck. He turned around the second he saw her and sighed in anger. "Caroline, I thought I told you I didn't want you here tonight. Shouldn't you be hanging out with Matt?"

She got angry, really angry, and laid into him. "Oh, believe me Tyler, I am not sticking around. I just needed to get something off of my chest. I don't know who you think you are to treat me this way. After everything we have been through? And everything I have done and gone through because of you, you are going to treat me like this? I don't think so. I am so done! Don't ever expect help from me ever again! Furthermore, quit telling me to hang out with Matt. He is just as big of an ass as you are."

Tyler just stood there in shock not knowing what to say back to her. He had never seen Caroline lash out at someone like that. Not even after the incident with Jules. Their eyes met and he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

She just shook her head and turned away and started to walk off. She was so angry she started talking out loud to herself without even noticing it. "I don't know what in the hell makes him think I would want to go to prom with Matt, after everything we have been through he honestly thought I would agree to go to prom, or be with Matt?"

He stood their listening to her ramble on, not knowing what to think. It took a minute before what she was saying actually sunk in. When it finally hit him he was in front of her in less than a second. He grabbed her hands and lightly pushed her back into the nearest tree. His chest was pressed up against hers, and he stared directly into her eyes for a few seconds before his lips crashed into hers. The kiss was soft and sweet. He pulled back and he cupped her cheeks with his hands. "Caroline, I am really sorry. I should have never acted like that with you."

She smiled and looked into his eyes "It's ok, I know all of this has been beyond confusing." She leaned in and started kissing him again. He complied for a minute, but then bulled back.

"No, it's really not Caroline. I can't believe I am going to say this, but I am one hundred percent positive that I am in love with you, and you don't treat the people that you care about like that. " When it finally hit him what had just let come out of his mouth he began to feel a panic rise. He had never said those words to anyone, not even his mother.

He looked up at her with scared eyes and she smiled. "Well you know what Tyler, I love you too. And when you love someone you can forgive them for almost anything. " At that he smiled and picked her up off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him as he carried her down to the Lockwood cellar.


End file.
